November Losses Imminent as Stock Futures Resume Trading

Stock futures were halted after a CME data center overheated, causing a "disruption in assets" per CNBC. Futures resumed trading at 8:30 a.m. E.T., the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) last seen up 35 points. Futures on the S&P 500 Index (SPX) and Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX) are quietly higher as well, as investors wrap up the holiday-shortened trading week. November is also wrapping up, with all three indexes headed for monthly losses, as AI valuation concerns weighed on sentiment in the past four weeks. Today's session will be shorter, with markets closing at 1 p.m. E.T.

• Bear signal flashing on mediocre insurance stock.
• What's on the docket for the first week of December.
• Plus, three stocks making moves ahead of the shortened session.

5 Things You Need to Know Today

1. The Cboe Options Exchange saw more than 2 million call contracts and more than 1.4 million put contracts were exchanged on Wednesday. The single-session equity put/call ratio fell to 0.69, while the 21-day moving average remained at 0.58.
2. Black Friday is putting retail in the spotlight, with Walmart Inc (NYSE:WMT) 0.1% higher before the open, buzzing alongside its sector peers. WMT tapped a record high of $109.59 on Wednesday and now sports a 20% year-to-date lead.
3. Shares of GameStop Corp (NYSE:GME) are 2.8% higher before the bell, extending its recent surge ahead of its third-quarter earnings report, due out after the close on Monday, Dec. 8. Should this pre-market gains hold, it will send GME to a fifth-straight daily pop and chip away at the equity's 30% deficit for 2025.
4. Stablecoin giant Circle Internet Group Inc (NYSE:CRCL) is 3.5% higher in pre-market trading, after S&P Global downgraded competitor Tether (USDT) to "weak." The agency said bonds, Bitcoin (BTC), loans, and other investments make up too much risk. Only trading publicly since early June, CRCL has fallen 45% so far this quarter.
5. What's in store for today's shortened Black Friday session.

Japanese Inflation Data in Focus 

Asian bourses were a mixed bag today. Inflation data in Japan fell short of estimates, propping up the Nikkei by 0.2%. South Korea’s Kospi lost 1.5%, with LG Energy Solution a notable laggard. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng shed 0.3%, while China’s Shanghai Composite gained 0.3%, with property stocks in focus on the former.

Over in Europe, bourses are pushing higher to end the choppy month. At last look, London’s FTSE 100, the French CAC 40, and German DAX are all up 0.2%, respectively. Overall, global markets are treading cautiously as investors position themselves for the end of the year stretch.